Banana-shipping case.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK SOI:IMITZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BANANA-SHIPPINGCASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 643,163, cla'ceol. Februa.ry 13, 1900.

Application filed February l0, 1899. Serlal N0. 705,159. lllo model.)

T0 all wh0m z't ma y concern:

Be it known than I, FRANK SCHMITZ, a Cl'Llzen of the Unitecl States of Ameri0a, residing at Chicago, in tl1e county of Oook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvementsin Banana-Shipping Gases, 0f whicl1 the following is a specifica'ion.

My invention relgtes to cerain improve- 1nents in banana-shlpping Gases, tl1e purpose of which is t0 afforcl apackage adapted 130 receive a buncl1 0f bananas and hold the same in suspension in a covering 01 envelop of such material as t0 provide tl1e necessary cusl1ion and 110 support sai(1 envelop by means 0f a rigid framework adapted to sustain ancl re sist the blows anal jars incident to ordinary means of transportati0n.

T0 such encl the invennion eonsists in 0ertain novel charaeteristics, which Will be fully described below in conneeuion With their preferred embodiment, and the essential fea'nures 0f which Will be pointed out in Ehe appencled claims.

In he drawings presenued l1erewith, I igure 1 is a side elevation of a complete paekage as the Same appears when the goods are ready 130 ship. Fig. 2 is a vertieal diametrical seetion showlng be paokage open. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section looking downwarcl in plane 3 3 0f Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a perspecrive 0f a portion of the cleVice, showing certain debails thereof.

Referring so the drawings, A is a cylindrical crate, preferablybarrel-shapecl, formecl with any preferrecl number of 1;0p and bottorn hoops a a. An intermecliate hoop a is shown as permanently securecl in position in Fig. l; but the same is preferably left free so be raised 01 forced down upon 'h6 erate, as seen in Fig. 2, exeeptduring 13he actual transportablen 0f bhe goods, When lt; may be secured ab sonne intermecliate portion between the top and bot/00m of he crate by any suitable temporary rneans. The top and bo'ntom hoops are conneced by a series of vertical slaus a A eylindrical bag B, Whi0h may 100 of ordinary construction, is suspencled Within Lhe erate by means 0f a series 0f cord s b, 13l16 bang being preferably smaller than the Grabe and the cords being sewed into ohe loag and extending therefrom 110 the diiferent members of the cmte, preferably a'u the joints, and

stretehed '00 pnt the bang un ler tensi0n in all directions. This gives to the bag it-s eylin- Clrical form of greatest extent and yet suspends lt; free f10m the craoe far enough within the Same t0 protect ohe inclosed goods fr0m damage. The bag is preferably fast'enecl Within Ehe 0rate before 1Jhe central or intermediate latter t o Center 13l1e. nied end of the bag in its proper position. The lower end 0f he bag is preferaloly pointecl toward the center, so as to Center the goocls, 0x ratherthe downwardlyprojeeting stem, therein. This acts in coujunction Wih the centered upper encl 0f tl10 bag to partially suspend tl1e openings f1om thetwo ends 0f the stem.

The advantages 0f ehe paekage eure its great simplicity, effectiveness, and cheapness of eonstruction as well as its lightness and the 'thorough prottaction it affords to the inelosecl goods.

It should be notieed that the bag B is slit down substantially so bhe upper I'OW of permanent cords, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. This enables nhe bag to be lifted outward over the upper ring 01 the crae, whieh is larger than the top of the bag itself, thus leaving the top of tl1e paekage wide open and free for the insertion 0f the fruit.

I elaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination Wih a suitable crate, of a bag suspendecl within and 0f contaco with the orate by laterally-extending cords counecting its end portions with the corresponding end portions of the Grabe, and mea.ns f01 foreibly extending the crate longitudinally; whereby tension is put upon the bang aund ibs suspending-eords.

2. The combination with a erate consising of 011d hoops connecuecl by separated slaus ICO bending outward at.the middle, 0f a bag suspended in the crate and out 0f contact with its sides by cords extending laterally outward from its end portions, and means for foreing he middle portions of the slat inward and fixing the1n in the new position, whereby the bag and cords are subjeeted t0 permanent tens1on.

3. The combination Wih a cmte consisuing 0f separated longitudinal slaos bulging 01111- ward at the rniddle, of hoops connecting 001- responding ends of the slats, a bag suspended witbin the crate and out of eontaet therewith by cords eonnecbing corresponding end portions 0f rhe bag and crate, and a hoop sliding upon the erate and having an inner diameter 1ess than the normal outer diameter of the n1iddle portion of the crate.

4.. The combination with the open crate h:win g spaced longitudinal members conuected by transverse hoop members, of a bunchinelosing bag shorter and 0f less diameter than the interior of the orate, and bag-suspending cords eaoh looped about one of the inner manabers 0f the crate alongside an outer crossing member, having its 100p b1anehes sewed inco the adjacent Walls 0f the bag, and again looped around the same inner member upon the opposite side of said erossing outer member; 

